


Still Pretty?

by N_Peggy (RJPhaNTom)



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Elmax Friendship, F/F, F/M, Minor Mileven, Minor Mucas, My interpretation of Max and El going to Starcourt, Stranger Things 3, friendship fic, minor lumax
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-30
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-02-10 02:48:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18651367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RJPhaNTom/pseuds/N_Peggy
Summary: It's the 4th of July Weekend and El is beginning to have some doubts about if she's pretty or not. With the unlikely help of Max, the two girls set out to the newly opened Starcourt Mall, and along the way, begin to form a bond.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is officially the longest one-shot I have ever written in my years of FanFiction writing. Ever since the Season 3 trailer came out, I had been interested in the growing development of all the relationships on the show. In this case, I focused this entirely on the friendship of El and Max, with some Mileven sprinkled in because I live for that.
> 
> HUGE SHOUTOUT to one of my besties and soul sisters 'OnlyHope39' who was kind enough to bring in suggestions and for reading through the drafts of this story! I could not have finished this without you!
> 
> And with that, I hope you enjoy the story!

After the ordeal with The Upside Down the second time around, a lot had changed once again. El was now officially ‘adopted’ by Hopper, being surprised with the birth certificate Dr. Owens had crafted, and with the Gate now closed, El and Chief Hopper both knew that the first thing to deal with was to fix up the windows of the Cabin.

 

At first, that was going to be the only thing to do, but after a visit from the Party™, and Joyce, as well as noticing that there were other things that needed fixing around the place, they all agreed that the Cabin needed more than just new windows, and so they went to work.

 

Everyone had pitched in to help; aside from The Party™ and  Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan and Steve had given their time to make the place feel more like a home once again, with El's room being painted a spring green and carpeting added over the hardwood floors.

 

With everything completed, the group celebrated with a housewarming party and El received many gifts, which included a ceramic unicorn from Nancy, a new dress from Joyce, a photo album from Jonathan, a radio from Steve, and a super comm. from the Party™. The Chief even surprised El with a new TV.

 

El was excited to make her room her own and spent a couple days putting things that meant to her around the small space to remind her of her friends, family and the memories she had made.

 

During the festivities, the guys of the Party™ were having a heated debate over which fictional girl was considered ‘hot’ by their standards “‘Hot’, like, burning?” El asked suddenly. The guys stopped and looked at each other and then at the girl, as they were not sure with how they were to continue on with the conversation. 

  
  


“Well, yes, and no, El.” Mike, her boyfriend, began, squeezing their intertwined hands gently, making her grin.  

 

“The word ‘hot’ could be a way of calling someone ‘beautiful,’” Lucas explained.  “Like, Princess Daphne in ‘ _ Dragon’s Lair _ ’ is ‘hot’,” he said as he took a swig of soda. El nodded in understanding.

 

“So, you don’t think Max is hot?” Lucas choked on his soda at El’s word, nearly spitting out the carbonated drink while the rest of the friends all laughed. “What makes you say that?” He sputtered, wiping the excess soda from his lips.

 

“Because you said “Princess Daphne” from  _ Dragon’s Lair  _ was ‘hot,’ but didn’t say anything about Max. She’s your girlfriend, right,” El explained. 

 

“Yeah, Stalker,” Max asked teasingly with a raise of her eyebrow. “Y-Yeah, Max is definitely hot. What with her feisty attitude, gaming and skateboarding skills. Plus, her eyes remind me of the ocean.” Lucas replied, which earned a kiss on the cheek from his girlfriend. “You’re not so bad yourself, Stalker,” she smiled. 

 

“We’re not talking about girls in real life, we’re talking about the ones we see on TV, in movies, in video games, mostly,” Mike explained further. 

 

“And as flattered as I am by that statement, Stalker, I’m not going to ignore the fact that I also think it’s a derogatory way of calling someone ‘pretty’,” Max pointed out from her spot next to her boyfriend, taking his can of soda and taking a sip, much to his protests. 

 

“Derogatory?” El repeated slowly, thinking back to finding that word in the dictionary and hearing it her favourite some of her favourite soaps.  “Yeah. When someone is acting in a derogatory way, they are being disrespectful. Like they’re making fun of you” Max explained.

 

“Usually, these dweebs or any other boy would call a girl ‘hot’ because of her body, mostly because of their boobs or their curves,” Max explained. The guys of the Party™ scoffed at Max’s reasoning, save for Will, who looked on in bemusement. 

 

“Hey! Girls do it with guys, too! Always drooling over washboard abs and perfect  hair,” Dustin cried out. “Not everyone is attracted to Steve, Dustin,” Max quipped sarcastically, to which the boy glared indignantly. “How dare you! Steve’s like the big brother I’ve never had! Our friendship is not like that,” 

 

“Well, in that case, which fictional character do you think is ‘hot’, Dustin.” “For your information, Maxine,” The curly haired boy began, dodging a Snickers bar being thrown in his direction by said person. ”I think Princess Leia is a total babe. She’s a kickass fighter, and have you SEEN her in the slave costume?” 

 

The guys all nodded in agreement. El remembered watching all of the Star Wars movies for the first time when her friends visited the cabin, and she vividly remembered that scene in particular, how most of the boys in the group had their eyes glazed over, practically drooling over the Princess, her boyfriend included. 

 

Mike never looked at her that way, and she began to have a sinking feeling in her stomach. 

 

After the party came to a close, Mike had pulled El aside to give his own personal gift to her: his toy dinosaur Rory. Needless to say, she was touched. “You’re giving me Rory?” she whispered. “Yeah, I figured he also needed a new home. Plus, this is a way for you to remember me since you can’t go out for awhile, I guess,” Mike replied, feeling a little flustered. El smiled back at him, but the feeling in her stomach never went away, and her smile faded a little. 

 

“Hey, what’s wrong, El?” The brunette looked up at her boyfriend. “Nothing,” she smiled, leaning up to peck his lips. “I love it, thank you.” Mike’s cheeks flushed as he leaned forward and kissed El with much fervor, much to the annoyance of Hopper and the rest of the Party™.

 

The bad, sinking feeling had gone away after that kiss and was replaced with reassurance that Mike still loved her anyway, with her feelings for him still strong. She started to forget about that bad feeling for the time being once everyone had left, holding Rory close to her heart. 

* * *

Time flew since then: birthdays were celebrated, milestones were passed, which including El getting her first period, and summer was now in full swing in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana.

 

Dr. Owens had told her dad that she needed at least a year for things to slowly die down and she could begin integrating into society. She hated to have to remain in the Cabin with nothing to do, but it was for her safety, and Hopper had allowed for visits from her friends unlike the year before. 

 

It was the weekend of the 4th of July as El laid on her bed, the open window not giving much breeze in the sweltering heat as the telekinetic used an issue of  **_Seventeen_ ** to move the magazine in a fanning motion as she hummed along to the radio.

 

She could kill her boredom by watching her favourite soap operas, or even get up and get something to eat, but the heat was too intense that she felt lazy to get up. But, alas, her stomach screamed for her to eat something and so she sat up, letting the magazine drop to the bed as she raised her hands up into a stretch, tilting her head towards the mirror hanging on the wall and taking a better look at herself. 

She sat on her knees on the mattress as she stared at her reflection, raising her hand up to touch a strand of her hair.

 

She smiled softly to herself. Her own hair, not a fake one, or a wig, as she recalled Mike, Dustin and Lucas calling it by that word. This hair was her own, something that she had grown out and was proud of, something she wished to not cut off anytime soon. She tugged at the strand, her head tilting in the direction where her hand pulled, feeling the dull ache and smiling in satisfaction. 

 

El then let go of her hair, shaking her head, her eyes then wandering back to the magazine she had been using to fan herself with earlier on. Picking it up, she flipped through the pages and found herself staring intently. The model had long hair like hers, but it was curled and blonde. El thought she looked elegant in her blazer, skirt and shoes. 

 

El felt the weird flip in her stomach from a few months ago come up again as she went through the entire magazine at lightning speed, reading different articles about beauty tips to relationship advice to the best of her abilities before pausing and looking at the clothes she was wearing; a flannel shirt that belonged to her dad and pants was all she had on. None of what she wore looked like they belonged in the pages of a magazine.

 

Suddenly, El became self-conscious. She looked back at the reflection in the mirror, and started to point out her flaws in her head, angry tears streaming down her face, her thoughts running a mile a minute over how she’ll never be as pretty as the girls in her favourite Soaps or the magazines, and that Mike would realize this and dump her. She looked nothing like Princess Leia; she didn’t have her breasts or her curves. 

 

El felt ugly. 

 

She needed to talk to someone, quickly going through who she could call as she took the Super Comm. in her hands. Her dad was at work, as were Joyce, Nancy, Jonathan and Steve to call for a code red but stopped. She didn't want Mike, Dustin, Will, or Lucas to hear about this dilemma, especially since this was about what they had been talking about (save for Will) in the first place, which left her with only one option: Max.

 

Now, El had yet to properly apologize to Max after her jealous fit when she had escaped the Cabin and found her with Mike, but the two girls had reached a point of being civil, and usually only hung out together when they were in the presence of the rest of the Party™. 

 

She turned the knobs until she found Max’s channel, using her powers to strengthen the call. “Max? It’s Jane.” she spoke, making a habit of using this name in case anyone (Bad Men or otherwise) listened in on their calls. The other line was quiet, and she tried again. Maybe she was busy? She thought, but wanted to try again, as she was desperate. 

 

“I just...need help? Like, girl help.” she said. Silence was what greeted her and she was set to give up, until, “El? Hey, everything alright?” Max’s voice rang out clearly and the telekinetic found herself breathing a huge sigh of relief. 

 

“Max! Can you come over to the Cabin? I need your help.” she asked desperately. The other line was quiet for a moment. “What kind of help?” El bit her lip.

 

“It’s... girl help?” she stressed, waiting for another reply, only to hear Max sigh.

 

“Okay, I’ll be right over. ” The self-proclaimed Zoomer replied as her line went dead. El wiped the blood from her nose and waited until Max made an appearance, the telekinetic found herself staring at the mirror with incredible intensity, her mind running through some ugly thoughts about herself. 

 

* * *

 

Max stared at the Super Comm. in disbelief. El needed her help? She for sure thought she was the last choice in the girl’s mind and El had made that fact  clear when they had first met. Despite the whole misunderstanding and the silent agreement to remain civil, she found that the telekinetic, and her boyfriend no less, still didn’t approve of her being in the Party™. Gradually, the two warmed up to the redhead but the tension still remained.

 

And now, Eleven needed her help. She could always call her back and flat-out tell her ‘no,’ but then Dustin’s voice echoed in her mind: “ _ If a Party member requires assistance, then it is the other member’s requirement to provide that assistance. _ ” With a sigh, she got dressed, grabbing what she needed, including her trusty skateboard and was out of the house. 

 

The trek to the Hopper’s Cabin was long, and the heat was definitely not helping, but Max persisted, going through the trail by memory until she finally reached her destination. She paused, feeling unsure about whether or not this could be some stupid prank, but she shook her head, determination flaring in her ocean eyes as she walked up the steps, knocking the secret knock. “El, it’s me, Max.” she said. 

 

Max then heard the locks being unchained before she opened the door, being met by  El, who had opened her bedroom door, peeking out to the redhead. She took in how puffy El’s eyes had gotten as she closed the door and promptly locked it as she was let into the bedroom, taking a seat on the bed.

 

The tension in the room was high, El wiping her eyes while Max fiddled with the wheel of her skateboard. “El, hey, what’s wrong?” Max asked with concern. The girl blinked and looked back at the girl. “Max...” she whispered. “Not pretty?”

 

Max’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion and offense. “Huh? What are you talking about. Look, if you’re just going to insult me, I can get one of the guys to come check on you-”

 

“Me. I’m not pretty.” El reiterated. “What are you talking about yes, you…” Her blue eyes landed on magazine page that was still opened and came to a realization. 

  
  


“Ohhhhhh,” Max hummed to herself, looking back at El. She knew that feeling of being self-conscious. She herself hid behind her sweaters and jeans, had a sarcastic and sassy wit, and didn't act like what society has deemed a girl to act. And she liked that she wasn't like other girls; that she liked video games and skateboarding and was comfortable just being one of the guys.  

 

But there were days where she liked to shop and 'act girly' in a sense, something that she doesn't want the rest of the Party™ to witness. “El, these are just a way for them to showcase the clothes and makeup the model is wearing. There’s no need to compare yourself to them,” Max reasoned. "Trust me, it's a completely normal thing. I may be sarcastic at times and I may look like I'm confident and but there are some days where I feel like I'm-"

 

"Not pretty," El finished. Max laughed. "Exactly. So, why else do you think you're not pretty?"

 

“Remember when they were watching the Star Wars movie?” El piped up. Max blinked. “Which one, there’s like, three.” 

 

“The one with Princess Leia in the slave costume. They were so... _ memorized _ by her…” El said dejectedly. “It’s ‘mesmerized,’ El.” Max corrected, but the redhead noticed that the brunette had pulled her legs up to her chest, shielding herself off to her. 

Max heaved a sigh. "El, listen to me. Mike likes you for who you are. There’s never been a day where I don’t see him making googly eyes at you, or when he holds your hand, or tries to sneak in a kiss." Max resisted the urge to roll her eyes and gag for the girl’s sake before continuing.

 

"My point is, Mike is not the type of guy to go after girls for their looks. So what if he thinks Princess Leia is ‘hot’! Princess Leia is not you and is not a real person. You've gotten to know and trust each other when you first met, right?" Max glanced back at El, who wasn’t responding and was just looking at the magazine on the bed. 

 

Max let out a sigh of frustration, feeling like she was losing her already. It was rather difficult to have a friend(?) who grew up in a horrible situation and lived as a Lab Rat in experiments to become the ultimate weapon in a war of power who’s only moment of feeling pretty was when she wore a blonde wig and a pink dress, something she remembered Lucas had explained to her. 

 

Max eyes wandered from the magazine page, going to what El was wearing, and then to what she was wearing. Her eyes then drifted to the open closet as she got up and walked up to it. “El, has the Chief gone out to buy you clothes? I don’t even think these would fit you at all.” Max looked back at El as she held the sleeve of Hopper’s old Police Academy sweatshirt. "The only thing that could probably fit you is the dress that Mrs. Byers got you." 

 

“No use, he said 'soon,'" El explained with an angry huff, coming to have a hatred of the word. An idea popped into Max’s head, her lips breaking into a giddy smirk. “Does he give you an allowance?” El nodded, pointing to her piggy bank, confused by the request.

 

“Why?”

 

“Let me see?” The redhead requested. El nodded, getting up to take it off of her shelf.

 

After grabbing a hammer and smashing the poor piggy bank into smithereens, Max counted the money. “Huh, isn’t he generous?”

 

“Dad says it’s for emergencies only.” El reasoned. “But this is technically an emergency, El, because you and me are going out on a shopping spree.” Max declared. “To get you out of your funk, and to get you some new clothes.” 

 

“Like in the movies?” El’s eyes lit up in surprise. 

 

“Exactly like in the movies. We can head to Starcourt! We’ll catch the bus that's in town if we hurry." Max got up, grabbing her skateboard. “But what if we get caught? You know I’m not allowed to be outside,” Max bit her lip. Shit, of course there was a catch. But she wanted to help. 

 

“I’ll make sure to have you home before your dad’s done!” Max pocketed the money. “So, are you in?” El looked unsure, but she nodded and took the other girl’s hand. 

 

* * *

Starcourt Mall was exactly how El had seen it on TV. Except, she didn’t expect for the place to be bigger than what she had imagined when watching the commercial in the first place. Her eyes were wide with wonder as Max dragged her to the centre of the mall. “It’s amazing, right?” Max looked over at El, who still had her eyes glazed over in wonder. She let out a laugh and nudged El. “You’ll catch flies if you keep your mouth open like that.” she teased, which resulted in El giving her a confused look.

 

“It’s an expression. So, anywhere you would like to go first?” Max asked. The brunette eyed the shops, but felt a little overwhelmed. Who knew a mall would have so much stuff to do? “Don’t worry. I know it can get scary, but just stick with me; I’ll be your guide.” El looked at Max and nodded. “O-Okay,” 

* * *

**_Material Girl” by Madonna_ ** was playing throughout the mall as Max dragged El to different stores. Some stores they didn’t stay at for too long, and others, they spent the most time in exploring what’s to offer. Max watched with intrigue as El tried to pick out some clothes, watching her eyes furrowed in confusion and curiosity as she played with the zipper of one of the jackets...only for it to break.

 

The two girls froze, looking at each other before they made a mad dash for the exit, giggling like maniacs before any of the clerks noticed the little mishap.

 

At another store, El picked out two of what Max thought was the most gaudiest dresses she had ever seen, one in purple, and another in yellow, each 

of them provided with their own accessories. “Can we try these on, please?” 

 

“Are you serious?” The redhead asked her, mouth gaped open. “These honestly look so ridiculous, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing…” Max paused as the brunette gave her best impression of puppy dog eyes that usually only worked on Mike or at times, her own dad. The other girl groaned. “Ugh, fine, but I get to wear the purple one.” Max took the dress from El’s hand and went into the changing room.

 

The two girls went into a dressing room to pull the dresses on. Both of the girls stepped out, El fiddling with the buttons on her dress. Max could tell she was having trouble. “Need help?” Max asked as she approached the other girl, who nodded sheepishly. Max proceeded to button up the dress, demonstrating to her how to do it. 

 

The two helped each other put the accessories on, from the eccentric head pieces, clip-on earrings down to the gloves. They each faced the mirror, striking different poses as if they were in front of a camera. Needless to say, that moment gave the girls a good laugh. “We look ridiculous!” El said, wiping her eyes from the tears of joy. Max nodded, her stomach hurting from how much she laughed. 

* * *

After their time at the one store with the gaudy dresses, El found herself forgetting why they were at the mall in the first place. That is, until she spotted a group of girls giving her looks, whispering to each other, pointing and laughing at her and at what she wore, and then she remembered. El recognized one of the girls as Stacey Albright, the one who had refused to dance with Dustin at the Snow Ball after he had asked her.

 

“...And then maybe we could hit the food court and bug Steve for a discount at Scoops Ah-” Max stopped her ramblings as she turned to look at El, noticing her quiet demeanor and tears brimming in her eyes.

 

Her ocean eyes turned icy as she saw the girls laughing at her new friend. “Show’s over, move along!” Max growled at the popular girls before tugging El along. 

 

“Ignore them, Ellie,” Max said as she wiped the tears from the girl’s eyes. 

 

“Still pretty?” she whispered. 

 

“Yes, you’re still pretty.” Max reassured her. 

 

“A-are you sure?” she said, feeling unsure. 

 

Max needed to come up with a way to get her back out of the funk and fast, eyes darting around the mall until she found the perfect location. “Come on, I know where we can go,” 

 

* * *

The two found themselves at a hair salon. It wasn’t just any old hair salon though, it belonged to a woman named Darlene, someone who Max knew personally through her mother.

 

“Maxine! What a surprise,” the jovial woman smiled at the two girls who just walked in, El silently snickering at the use of Max’s first name. “It’s just Max, Darlene,” 

 

“Oh, right, of course,” the woman smiled. “What brings you in?” 

 

“I’m actually here with my friend, Jane. She’s having a bad day and I figured why not go on a shopping spree,” El shyly waved at the woman, who eyed her, trying to figure out what to do. 

 

“Well, I know just what to do. Have a seat, Jane,” El looked unsure. “Don’t worry,” Max assured her. “I’ll just wash your hair first, if that’s alright?” The brunette nodded as she followed the kind woman, who instructed her to sit down, laying her head as it hovered over the sink. 

 

El jolted slightly when she heard the water being turned on, wetting her brown locks, but found that she liked having her hair washed, giggling softly to herself.

 

“You’ve never had this done before, huh?” Darlene cooed. “No,” El replied. After her hair was washed, El was lead to a salon chair in front of a mirror. Darlene got to work, drying her hair first until it was damped, and then going to grab some rollers. 

 

* * *

“How do you know her?” El asked Max. Her hair was now in rollers as she sat in the dryer chair.  “Hmm? Oh, my mom and Darlene used to work together back in California,” the girl replied. El nodded in understanding. “Thank you, by the way.” she found herself saying. Max looked at her surprised before she shrugged. “No need to thank me.”

 

“I mean it,” El smiled. 

 

The process itself took awhile to execute, but El came out with a head full of loose curls on her head and she felt like a new person. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, almost re-enacting the moment Mike first called her ‘pretty’ (“Good...you look pretty good.”)

 

“How much?” Max asked as she reached into her pocket to pay for the service. “On the house today, my dear.” Darlene replied. “Now, you girls go have some fun,” 

 

The two girls thanked the woman and then went off. “You look great, Ellie,” Max complimented, causing the girl to blush, her gaze turning towards a store they hadn’t stepped into before. “Want to go in here?” Max asked. El nodded as they walked in.

 

El was able to purchase a few clothes from that store, changing out of her baggier clothes and into a comfortable but fashionable black shirt with a colourful pattern and some shorts. The girls walked out of the store with plenty of bags in their arms feeling satisfied. 

 

“I think we did good today,” Max said. “Mhmm,” El nodded in agreement as her stomach rumbled. “We should grab some ice cream at Scoops Ahoy. I think Steve is still there,” Max suggested. “Okay,” El nodded as they made their way up.

 

* * *

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t Max Mayfield and Jane Hopper. Aren’t you supposed to be on house arrest right now?” Steve teased at El, who blinked in response. “Shouldn’t you be out on the high seas, Sailor Harrington?” Max quipped, causing El to giggle beside her. “Hardy har har,” Steve replied sarcastically.  

 

“But seriously, wouldn’t the chief be suspicious about the new clothes that his daughter’s currently wearing?” He quipped. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Anyway, we would like some ice cream, so, chop chop.” Max ordered. 

 

“Aren’t you polite,” Steve rolled his eyes, turning his back to the two girls and  revealing a secret smile to Robin, his co-worker. “Cone or cup?” El bit her lip, unable to make a decision right away. Steve, oddly enough was patient with her. 

 

She had never tried ice cream in a cone before and went with that, getting a single scoop of strawberry ice cream while Max doing the same thing, an exception being she got a single scoop of chocolate instead. Max hassled the teen into giving them a discount, which he begrudgingly obliged to, before they departed the mall, boarding the bus. 

 

Robin snickered as she walked up to her new friend. “We’re not going to see the last of the kids, aren’t we?” she asked Steve. “Not a chance. Oh, and there’s another kid coming in right now.” 

 

* * *

“...And then Lucas spilled the milkshake all over the table when he got up and tried to wipe the ketchup from my lip.” Max said as she and El burst into giggles over her memorable first date with the teen. “I tried…” she cleared her throat before continuing. “I tried to help him out, I tried to keep a straight face but we both just broke down laughing.” She continued to laugh.

 

“How do you feel?” Max asked after her laughter had died down. 

 

“I feel better now. I feel pretty.” El admitted as she gently pushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear. “Mike hasn’t asked me out on a proper date yet because I’m not supposed to go out yet, but he has told me he has one all planned out for when I finally do go out. He said it involved sneaking out, too. I hope he likes the makeover, though.” El said as she licked her slowly melting ice cream. 

 

Max quietly looked over at the girl. “I meant what I said earlier, El. Mike cares about you a lot and doesn’t care about how you look. I will admit though, the shopping spree was also an excuse to get you some clothes that actually fit you.” El nodded, still a bit unsure. 

 

“I’m sorry I shoved you with my powers.” El began. Max glanced over at the brunette once again. “What do you mean?” Max asked. “When you were on your skateboard.” El finally admitted.  

 

“I saw you and Mike together when I escaped the Cabin. I got jealous because I thought he had moved on.” she looked down at her ice cream. “And I never got to apologize to you for what I did.  I was rude to you when we first met because of that, and I’m sorry.” 

 

Max sat there stunned, but then took the other girl’s hand into hers. “Hey, it’s in the past now, El.” Max assured her. “I’m happy this whole day has brought us close together.” El grinned. “Me too,” They shared a hug just as the bus pulled up to their stop. 

* * *

“What time is your dad supposed to be back?” Max asked as she finished putting El’s new clothes away while the latter tidied up the broken remains of the piggy bank from earlier, checking the time on her clock. “Um, 6-0-0,” Max paused. “6 o’clock?” she repeated. “Yes,” El replied. “I’m used to saying it that way.”

 

“How did you learn to tell time that way?” 

 

“Mike taught me.” El said with a shrug. 

 

“Ah, he just simplified it for you.” Max said as she closed her friend’s closet once the new clothes were put away. El paused and then nodded. There was a beat of silence. “It’s too quiet in here,” Max spoke as she got up and turned on the radio.  _ “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun”  _ started to pour from the speakers as El moved her head to the beat and Max began to dance around the small bedroom to the voice of Cyndi Lauper. 

 

Max stopped momentarily and looked over at her new best friend. “Come on, El, let’s dance!” Max urged. “I don’t know how,” El whispered shyly. “Bullshit, I saw you slow dance with Mike at the Snow Ball.” The former took the latter’s hands to get her to stand. 

 

_ “Girls just wanna have fun!”   _ Max sang along to the lyrics. El slowly started to move, repeating the words to the song. The two girls sang and danced to their heart’s content without a care in the world. 

* * *

That night, El laid down in bed in her brand new PJs that she had purchased at Starcourt. Hopper was quick to find out about her little escapade with Max, but he wasn’t so hard on her about it because he agreed that his daughter was growing and needed new clothes, and let the subject drop altogether.

 

Max had stayed for dinner before she was driven home by Hopper, the two girls embracing before she left, making promises to do more hangouts between the two of them and sealing their new bond of friendship. 

 

As El turned the light off to go to sleep, her Super Comm. began to crackle to life. “El, do you copy, over? It’s Mike,” Her brown eyes widened at the sound of her boyfriend’s voice as she used her powers to bring the device to her lap from the vanity. “Yeah, I copy, over,” she whispered, hoping to not wake her sleeping dad in the living room, her powers strengthening the signal like she had done earlier.

 

“Max told me both had gone out to Starcourt Mall, over,” Mike began.

 

“Yes, over.” El nodded, but stopped when she realized he couldn’t see her. “I got new clothes, and I got my hair done too! But the curls are fading away…” she sighed dejectedly. “Now I don’t feel pretty anymore…” 

 

There was silence on the other end. “W-What are you talking about, El, who made you think you weren’t pretty?” The girl gulped down her tears. “Y-You…and Lucas, and Dustin, and Will…” she admitted. 

 

“W-What, how?” He sounded confused. 

 

“When you and the Party came to the Cabin to watch Star Wars, you wouldn’t stop looking at Princess Leia when she was in her slave costume. You don’t look at me like that, Mike. Am I not pretty enough for you?” she sobbed quietly, images of the magazine, the movie, those mean girls who had laughed at her at Starcourt, and the conversation from the party months before flooding in. 

 

She shut off her Super Comm. as she cried softly. No matter what Max had told her, she didn’t feel beautiful.

 

A rapid but quiet knock on her window brought her out of her thoughts. Wiping her eyes, she slowly got up and walking towards the sound. She drew back the curtains and gasped when her eyes met with Mike’s own, soft brown ones. El opened the window and gently helped the teen inside. 

 

“What are you doing here-” Mike cupped El’s face and kissed her, stopping her words. Her previous, negative thoughts seemed to flee immediately before he pulled away. “Mike,” she squeaked. 

 

“El, I’m so sorry I made you believe you weren’t beautiful.” he whispered. “Don’t believe anything anyone ever tells you because you are beautiful, you are kind, smart, and powerful. You’re amazing, El. I don’t care about what you wear or how you look.” He said sincerely. 

 

“Remember when we were in my basement and I was helping you get cleaned up after you saved me from Troy and James, when I told you that you didn’t need the wig because you were still pretty?” El nodded as she and Mike sat on her bed. 

 

“I meant it. You’re still pretty, beautiful, gorgeous...all of those words to me, and you always will be. But you don’t need me or Max or anyone else to tell you that because it’s you who needs to believe it in the end.” Mike explained. 

  
Max was right: Mike already liked her for who she was and that never wavered in the slightest. El took one last look in the mirror for the night, smiling at how beautiful she looked. Her eyes then went back to the  **_Seventeen_ ** magazine that caused her so much trouble as she picked it up and threw it in the trash.


	2. Photo Booth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> El and Max continue their shopping adventure as El discovers a Photo Booth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a companion fic to "Still Pretty?" and "Pictures of You, Pictures of Me," that's set before Max and El go see Steve and months before Mike and El's photoshoot session, so I recommend you read those two one shots first before reading this as there are some spoilers from both of those. Without further ado...

El and Max's escapade in and around Starcourt Mall had been an eventful one.

El was dressed to the nines with her curled hair and new clothes as the two made their way to Scoops Ahoy for some ice cream. While walking there, the brunette paused.

"Max, what's this?" The redhead stopped her movements and looked in the direction the telekinetic was pointing at. "Oh, that's a photobooth! Come on, let's try it out." Max took the girl's hand and lead her to it.

"Careful, it's a little cramped." She said as they stepped in, setting their bags on the floor of the booth. Max quickly added the change into the machine. "Alright, standard pose: just smile in 3...2...1..." the flash went off, startling El and causing Max to guffaw. "I'm sorry, we messed up..." she sighed dejectedly, a frown on her face.

"Don't worry! That's the thing with photo booths, you get a few tries." Max smiled encouragingly. El nodded. "Get ready," The next one El was ready as she smiled softly. Max directed her on what kind of poses they should do, from standard smiles to goofy faces.

"Now, we wait for them to print out." Two copies spat out of the machine as Max retrieved them. "Here, a souvenir from your first ever shopping trip." El took the strip in her hand. "Thank you," she smiled. "Now, come on, I bet Steve's still working right now and I could go for some ice cream."

That night, before she went to bed, El proudly put up the photo booth strip on her wall. This was the start of memories made and new ones to come. Now, if only she could convince Mike to take pictures with her...


End file.
